Your First Wedding Dress Appointment – How to Prepare

At your first wedding dress appointment at Karim Design, you have 60 minutes and a stylist entirely to yourself. All you need to bring is a few pictures of what you dream of, an idea of your budget and, ideally, a couple of the people closest to you. We will work out the rest together – perhaps somewhere quite different from where you thought you would end up.

Karim Design is a family-owned bridal shop in Copenhagen, on Store Kongensgade, and we have been dressing brides since 1991. We design our own wedding dresses, each one made to your measurements in our own production – and, for certain models, by our trusted partner workshops. Here is our advice on making the most of your first hour in the fitting room.

What happens at a wedding dress appointment?

Your stylist will want to hear about your wishes: the wedding, the season, the atmosphere you imagine – and anything you already know you do not want. With that as the starting point, you try on dresses together.

We do not keep a regular stock of wedding dresses. The dresses in the shop show our cuts and fabrics – lace, silk, embroidery and stone-embellished fabrics – and the bridal dress you order is made for you. The appointment is therefore first and foremost about finding the silhouette, the fabric and the look.

How to prepare for your first wedding dress appointment

Gather inspiration – but stay open

Save a handful of images on your phone of dresses you keep coming back to. Notice what they have in common: is it the clean lines, the lace, a particular neckline or the back? To learn more about silhouettes before your visit, our guide to wedding dress styles gives a good overview.

The pictures are a starting point, not a shopping list. What works on a screen often feels quite different once the fabric is against your skin.

Know your budget

Mention your budget from the outset. Your stylist can then show you the dresses that make sense for you, and you avoid falling for something far from what you had in mind. At Karim Design, a Costume Design dress starts from DKK 13,000, a Couture Made dress from DKK 25,000, and our sample dresses are available from around DKK 4,500. All prices include VAT. Read more in our guide how much does a wedding dress cost.

Book in good time

A made-to-order dress typically takes 3–4 months to produce as Costume Design and 6–9 months as Couture Made, so we recommend ordering around 6 months before the wedding for Costume Design and 10–12 months before for Couture Made. Your first appointment should therefore come well before that point, so that you can choose without pressure. Read more about when to buy your wedding dress.

Who should come with you to try on wedding dresses?

Choose your company with care. A larger group can be great fun, but when you are standing in a dress trying to sense how it feels, too many opinions can drown out your own.

Bring a few rather than many – the people who know you best, who can see when you light up, and who dare to give their honest opinion kindly, without taking the decision away from you. The appointment is about you – and about the dress in which you feel most like yourself.

What should you wear to your appointment?

Smooth, skin-tone underwear is the best choice. Dark colours and bold lace can show through light fabrics and distract from what you see in the mirror. If you have a strapless bra, bring it.

If you dream of wearing your hair up, pin it up loosely with a clip. That way you can see your neckline and the back of the dress – and how a veil or hair accessory completes the look. Veils and hair accessories are kept in stock in the shop, so do ask your stylist whether you should look at them alongside the dress.

How many wedding dresses should you try on?

There is no right number. But after a great many dresses, they begin to blur together, and it becomes harder to tell them apart. Start broadly with the basic silhouettes and narrow down from there.

An A-line wedding dress, a mermaid wedding dress and a princess dress sit very differently on the body, and the first few dresses often give you a clear sense of which direction feels right. If you feel you have found the one, there is no need to try more just to be sure.

Keep an open mind

Many brides arrive with a clear idea of what they do not want – no lace, for instance. Even so, a lace wedding dress sometimes ends up as the favourite.

A dress looks different on the hanger from how it looks on you. So say yes when your stylist suggests a dress you would not have chosen yourself. It might be the one. If not, you will know a little more about what you are looking for.

After the appointment: measurements, ordering and alterations

If you find your dress, we take your measurements. A Costume Design dress is made to three measurements – bust, waist and hips – while a Couture Made dress is created entirely from scratch to your full measurements. The dress then goes into production, which typically takes 3–4 months for Costume Design and 6–9 months for Couture Made.

Take the time you need before you order. A dress made to order for you cannot be returned. If you would like to see the dresses again before deciding, you are welcome to book another appointment.

Should the dress need adjusting after delivery, please note that Karim Design does not carry out alterations in-house. We are happy to recommend a skilled seamstress or tailor.

Book your first appointment at Karim Design Copenhagen

You will find us at Store Kongensgade 112, 1264 Copenhagen K. The shop is open Mon–Fri 10:00–18:00 and Sat 9:00–15:00, and you can call us on +45 33 32 07 22. Read more about our bridal shop in Copenhagen, or go straight to booking.

Book a bridal appointment – a complimentary 60-minute consultation with your own stylist.

Frequently asked questions about trying on wedding dresses

How long does a wedding dress appointment at Karim Design last?

All appointments last 60 minutes. You have a stylist to yourself throughout, so there is time to talk about your wishes and try on the dresses that suit them.

Does it cost anything to try on wedding dresses?

No. An appointment at Karim Design is a complimentary consultation. You book your time via our booking page.

Who should I bring to my appointment?

Bring just a few – a couple of the people closest to you, who know you well and dare to give their honest opinion kindly, without taking the decision away from you.

What should I wear to my appointment?

Smooth, skin-tone underwear, and a strapless bra if you have one. If you plan to wear your hair up, pin it up loosely so that you can see your neckline and the back of the dress.

Does Karim Design carry out alterations to the wedding dress?

No, Karim Design does not carry out alterations in-house. We are happy to recommend a skilled seamstress or tailor if your dress needs adjusting.